Northern Pike Protected Slots-Special Regs. MN DNR

[Rick]

Northern Pike-Special regs

Some regulations could have changed since this document was updated. For complete fishing regulations consult Minnesota Statutes and Rules for DNR. Effective March 1, 2009. Updated Oct. 20, 2009.

Lake - County

Ada - Cass, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Alexander - Morrison, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Alice - Itasca, 22-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”, bag limit 9

Ann - Carver, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Annie Battle, and inlets and outlets - Otter Tail, catch and release

Ash - St. Louis, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Balsam - Itasca, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Bass - Todd, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Basswood - Lake, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Battle, West - Otter Tail, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Beltrami - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Big Birch - Todd, - Stearns, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36

Big Carnelian - Washington, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Big Fish - Stearns, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Big Lake - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Big Mantrap - Hubbard, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Big Swan - Todd, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Birch Lake Reservoir - St.Louis, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Black Bass - Mille Lacs, catch and release

Blueberry - Wadena, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Bowstring and connecting waters - Itasca, 22-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”, bag limit 9

Campbell - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Caribou - St. Louis, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Cedar - Morrison,, - Todd, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Center, North - Chisago, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Center, South - Chisago, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Child - Cass, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Coon-Sandwick - Itasca, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Cotton - Becker, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Crooked - Stearns, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Crow Wing 5th - Hubbard, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Crow Wing 6th - Hubbard, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Crow Wing 8th - Hubbard, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Crow Wing 9th - Hubbard, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Crow Wing 10th - Hubbard, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Deer - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Elephant - St. Louis, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Elk - Clearwater, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Eunice - Becker, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Farm - Lake, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Fish Trap - Morrison, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Fladmark - Otter Tail, catch and release

Floyd, Big - Becker, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Floyd, Little - Becker, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Fox - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Garden - Lake, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

George - Hubbard, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Girl - Cass, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Haskell - Itasca, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Horseshoe - Cass, 30” minimum, 1 over 30”

Island - Itasca, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Knife - Kanabec, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Lake of the Woods - Lake of the Woods and Roseau, 30-40” protected slot, 1 over 40”

Latoka - Douglas, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Little Boy - Cass, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Little Cascade - Cook, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Little Sauk - Todd, 24-30” protected slot, 1 over 30”

Little Toad - Becker, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36

Little Woman - Cass, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Long - Aitkin, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Long - Stearns, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Long - Todd, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Loon - Cook, 30” minimum, 1 over 30”

Maud - Becker, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Medicine - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Melissa - Becker, 24” maximum

Mille Lacs - Aitkin, Crow Wing & Mille Lacs, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Mink-Somers - Wright, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Minnie Belle - Meeker, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Mission, Lower - Crow Wing, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Mission, Upper - Crow Wing, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Mitchell - Crow Wing, 40” minimum, 1 over 40”

Movil - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

North Star, Little North Star - Itasca, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

North Twin - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Norway - Otter Tail, 1 fish bag

Ogechie - Mille Lacs, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Otter Tail - Otter Tail, 30” minimum, 1 over 30”

Pelican - St. Louis, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Prairie - St. Louis, 30” minimum, 1 over 30”

Rabbit, Big - Crow Wing, 24” maximum

Rabbit, East Big - Crow Wing, 24” maximum

Rachel, Little Rachel - Douglas, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Red, Upper - Beltrami, 26-40” protected slot, 1 over 40”

Round - Crow Wing, 30” minimum, 1 over 30”

Round and connecting waters - Itasca, 22-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”, bag limit 9

Rush, East and West - Chisago, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Sallie - Becker, 24” maximum

Sand and connecting waters - Itasca, 22-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”, bag limit 9

Scrapper - Itasca, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Shamineau - Morrison, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Sissabagamah - Aitkin, 20-30” slot, 1 over 30”

South Farm - Lake, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Spider - Itasca, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

St. Olaf - Waseca, 30” minimum

Steiger - Carver, catch and release, spearing ban

Sturgeon - Pine, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Sugar - Wright, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Syliva, West Sylvia - Wright, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Ten Mile - Cass, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Three Island - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Turtle, Big - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Turtle, Little - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Turtle River Lake - Beltrami, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Twenty One - Otter Tail, catch and release

Unnamed (Louise) - Cass, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Vermilion - St. Louis, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Wabedo - Cass, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

West Battle - Otter Tail, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

White - Iron - St. Louis, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

Woman - Cass, 24-36” protected slot, 1 over 36”

[Spike76]

The DNR calls this an experiment, but when your grandson catches the biggest fish he has ever caught, and he has to throw it back, he is very disapointed. Good fishermen don't need the experiments to find nice fish! There are way too many lakes in this experiment.

[Jameson]

I think Mille Lacs and Red, Upper have didn't slots on them now. Anyone know for sure?

[Gordie]

yes they do have slots and I belive there is changes gonna be made on Mille Lacs for pike

If you look at the list of lake above you will see that both lakes you have lised are on there

[Jameson]

edit: late night, change "didn't" to "different" in my previous post.

Just read that Mille Lacs will have a 27-40" protected slot for pike this year.

[Spike76]

I would honestly like to know how many fishermen or women, or youngsters, really want these protected slot limits? Maybe the DNR could experiment with a couple of lakes instead of the 111 lakes listed. Some special interest groups might like these experiments but they are at our expense, meaning my grandchildren and mine. When your limit is three, with only one being over thirty, how could there be a problem? Chances are there are probably more dying from people catching and releasing then are kept for eating.

[Mcfin]

I hate the slots. They put a slot limit on my lake and I sold my cabin. I fished and speared my favorite lake for decades and they ruined it for me.

[mrklean]

personally i dont mind the slots on those lakes, 111 lakes out of 10,000 those are pretty good odds for spearing still, im sure if my favorite lake turned into a slot lake or no spearing lake i would be mad but really i would just go find a new lake thats half the fun finding new lakes

[shamalex72]

personally i dont mind the slots on those lakes, 111 lakes out of 10,000 those are pretty good odds for spearing still, im sure if my favorite lake turned into a slot lake or no spearing lake i would be mad but really i would just go find a new lake thats half the fun finding new lakes

I agree. Although, I wouldn't mind the slots being tweaked a little, maybe like 28-38".

[Spike76]

When one of the lakes is the lake your son and family lives on, and that you've been fishing and spearing on for years, it makes it hard to swollow. My grandkids there, didn't spear with me at all this year because I went to another lake. It was a lot easier to spear when they could run from home to fishhouse and back as necessary.It would be alot easier to take a kid spearing without slot limits.

[gotum]

cry me a river. I love the slots I spear and fish for northern in open water and having a few lakes around where there are big northern in catch able numbers is awesome. I don't care what lake the DNR would have picked someone would have to say no not my lake too bad we need different management on a few lakes so people like myself can catch a few of the big ones that are protected and not hammer handles like most lakes. On top of that there is a lot of evidence that shows these slots work and I believe the only thing that is experimental about it is what slot is the most effective on what type of lake.

[guideman]

Please,

I live on a lake that has slots on Pike and Walleyes and my grandchildren have no problem releasing fish. It's called education, just explain to them the reasons for the slots and they will understand it. Take a photo and they will have that memory forever, I really doubt that they will remember whether they ate it or not.

If your grandson won't sit in the shack for hours to spear a fish, maybe he just isn't into it as much as you think. My 12 year old grandson has released many big fish including several large Pike and a 48 inch Muskie, without any hesitation. So please don't use your grandchildren as an excuse for the attitudes of their grandfather. Selective harvest works and there is plenty of information out there that proves it.

"Ace"

[gotum]

well said.

[Spike76]

Protected slots on these lakes is for no reason but to get more large northerns. People who don't like to eat northerns enjoy these slots, and enjoy throwing the nice northerns back so they don't have to clean them. Most big fish that are released will probably die. The only ones that probably make it are the ones caught next to the boat and immediately released. I've seen this over 55 years of fishing, and I fish for northerns to eat them. If I was too lazy to clean the northern's , then I might like the slots too.

[efishsport]

There aren't many lakes in MN where you get the chance of getting a 40" plus Pike and thats what the purpose of these slots are. Larger northerns 30" and up do not taste as well as the smaller ones and they have a much higher mercury content. I like to eat northerns and I have no problems with these slots. There are thousands of lakes that do not have these slots that anyone can fish.

[mainbutter]

The DNR calls this an experiment, but when your grandson catches the biggest fish he has ever caught, and he has to throw it back, he is very disapointed. Good fishermen don't need the experiments to find nice fish! There are way too many lakes in this experiment.

That may be your opinion, but here's mine: It's a shame that when someone catches the biggest fish of their life, the first thing some think about is killing it. I fully support someone's right to take a trophy fish, but I don't have to like it when it happens, and these slots do their job quite well.

I've found that managed lakes have the best pike size structure and numbers, and that's a good enough argument for me that they're working.

If your grandson's biggest fish is in a slot, keep him at it to get above that slot, I'm sure you enjoy fishing together!

[mainbutter]

I would honestly like to know how many fishermen or women, or youngsters, really want these protected slot limits?

Frankly I think too many big pike are harvested from MN waters, and if I was the selfish type, I'd push for a statewide 24''+ release mandate for all northern pike.

In the land of 10,000 lakes, there's enough variety of fishing regulations for everyone. I don't like that I have to drive 40 minutes to my favorite small lake to fish, but I do it because it's the only one with the regulations that I like.

[Spike76]

Don't be so selfish. People living on these lakes should have a right to keep their limit of three, and not three, two or three pounders. This will only feed two people. Only one over thirty is slot enough.

[mrklean]

Don't be so selfish. People living on these lakes should have a right to keep their limit of three, and not three, two or three pounders. This will only feed two people. Only one over thirty is slot enough.

You say dont be selfsih but you just said people on those lakes should have the right to keep there limit of large fish isnt that selfish? We as spear fisherman should be happy with only the 111 lakes with slots and no spearing, with the amount of mud that get gets tossed out there at us with people thinking we ruin lakes i just hope they dont put a statewide slot out there im happy they have left it where it is

[gotum]

It does a lot more then just help produce bigger pike. Try reading a little research if it isn't too over your head that is. A system with a good balance of predator fish is better for all fish species not just large pike. It helps all fish species. It sounds like you are the one that is too lazy to clean the smaller northern and feel you have to keep all the bigger ones that help keep the fishery healthy then have the nerve to call others selfish sounds a little hypocritical to me.

[gotum]

I don't know how you handle your fish however if you handle them correctly there is very little hooking mortality so saying that most of the catch and release fish die anyways is a bunch of bull ####. I catch and release a lot of very nice fish every year and a big net, pliers, mouth spreader, and hook cutters go a long way in strong releases and the only ones that have died on me are the ones under say 26" that get the knife when I want some fresh fish.

[Spike76]

I'm sorry I used selfish, I'm being very selfish over these experiments. There is no research available for these lakes, that is available, or the DNR wouldn't have to call this an experiment. The experiment should be voluntary, and then if there are a lot of people agreeing, it will serve their purpose.

[gotum]

Try talking to your areas fisheries personnel they will be able to give you a lot of information and trust me these are not just experiments and the studies that have been done prove they work. Or your other option is to talk out of your backside and claim there is no information available.

[creepworm]

Or your other option is to talk out of your backside and claim there is no information available.

That is what he is doing. Why let facts get in the way of an opinion. Saying only people that are too lazy to clean pike are the ones that want slots is completely false. I eat many northerns every year. I will not keep anything over 28 because it is unnecessary. It is definitely the lazier person that has to only clean bigger pike and has to fill their freezer with several meals on only a few fish.

[Spike76]

Sorry but when I want to go spearing, it's alot easier to walk out to the spear house, then drive a few miles. The DNR calls it an experiment, so I do too. Their gill net surveys don't tell you, that the only resort on this lake has been closed now for a few years, and a few old timers have passed on now. They should survey people on the lake also, not just special interest groups. I haven't heard anyone on the lake that wanted the slot from 24 inches to 36 inches.